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Amanda (Penrose) Dutcher Thursday, May 1, 2008 I can't believe we are actuallu going to have a get together! I am excited about seeing everyone and how and where their lives have taken them! I have a beautiful 2 year old son named Logan Joseph, he is my greatest accomplishment. But Speech has always and will always be one the most prescious memories I possess. Hello to all....and hope to see you soon!  Love, Amanda Send This Person a Message       Michelle (Petty) Donegan Thursday, April 3, 2008 I'm so grateful to the organizers of this reunion. A big THANK YOU to you! Thanks to this event, I have been in touch with some long-lost friends. Sadly, I won't be able to make the reunion -- I live in London now and have already booked a trip home at another time this summer.  I'm a journalist and the other day I found myself using the phrase - "If you're not part of the steamroller, you're part of the road," and I thougtht of Joe Wycoff, of course. Anyone else remember that one? Lessons for life, I'd say :-) A few years ago, I got to chair a public hearing at the European Commission, which was scary,  but I was grateful in a big way for all those years of speech training. Those freezing cold, 4 a.m bus rides really paid off! Send This Person a Message       Wendy Riefer '78 Monday, March 17, 2008 I love the idea of this reunion, especially the opportunity to say thank you to coaches who laid some solid foundations in my life. I remember Mr. Wycoff, Mr. Cavallo, Mr. Percifield, and Mrs. Funke with affection. I am so grateful for the way you have invested yourselves in young lives. You will never know how far your influence has reached as we continue to teach our own children and influence lives around us. Send This Person a Message       Virginia Mayes Friday, March 7, 2008 I can't believe that Mr. Wycoff and Mrs. Funke are still warping young minds after all these years!  Don't you think that, by now, the 3 a.m. bus rides and drama scenes would have worn them down?  For more than 20 years, I have made a living as an expert witness, testifying on technical issues in a regulatory environment (pricing and costing of postal services, if you must know!).  As you can imagine, the speech and debate training has come in mighty handy as I try to maintain my cool as $400/hour lawyers try to shred my testimony.  One lesson I learned from the speech coaches that I have kept with me all of these years and passed on to my staff and other witnesses, and even my kids, is that the judging starts the minute you walk into the room; not just when you walk to the front of the room.  The impression is made before you ever open your mouth.  The speech coaches taught me that, and a million other things about presentation and confidence and respect and hard work.  The lessons stuck!  I think it's marvelous that the coaches have continued their winning ways in the speech and debate program.  Kudos to them, and to all of the generations of CHS speech and debate winners! Send This Person a Message       Lance Elson Friday, February 22, 2008 Awesome idea!  I'm already starting to remember those wonderful days ('76 - '79) of Speech and Debate! OK, the 3:00 am freezing bus rides were a bit rough ... but Barry Manilow always seemed to help us through the pain.  I can't wait to see the coaches and old friends.  I gratuated in '79. So it's been 29 years!  Which is actually impossible, since I'm not 29 years older.  The grey balding hair and extra weight are all a clever disguise!   We live in Maryland now, near Annapolis.  I work for EPA in Washington, DC and my wife works for an energy firm.  My daughter will be graduating from high school (with honors) this spring and aspiring to sudy voice performance (please send money!).    See you all soon!  Lance Send This Person a Message       Tiffany Polster (Kasl) Tuesday, February 19, 2008 This is very impressive.  I have thought of my short time with the speech team often over the years and I never knew my experiences would pay dividends for my future sucesses.   I would be honored to see the many awesome members of previous CHS teams.  I sometimes wish I could go back and be a part of that cooperative effort among students and staff.  I have never been around so many people willing to help each other succeed.   Thank you, Cassie, you are still an amazing person.  You introduced me to my first OI and I have such fond memories of your kindess.  I hope to help in any way I can.  Send This Person a Message       Doris Towery (Mays) Saturday, February 9, 2008 No *@**# way it has been so many years!  I looked through all these faces and its kind of strange to be one of the oldies.  My memories and experiences on the team were some of the best!  All the coaches were like family and helped me find the confidence I didn't think I had and made me feel like a champion!  Being a Wycoff Girl made me proud -Joe was a key mentor that helped me to build the skills I needed to be successful at a young age.  It will be awesome to see the coaches and alumni.  Send This Person a Message       SHERRY HALL Thursday, February 7, 2008 I mostly remember being scared to death before each meet!  My 16 year old is hoping to qualify for the state (KS) forensics competition this weekend...Happily, she is much better than I ever was at performing.  I do credit the program with making me a better public speaker.  Can it really be almost 40 years since I was there? Send This Person a Message       Dan Skaggs Saturday, January 5, 2008 Boy has it been a long time. I was the CHS team from 1972 to 1974. Man did I have a great time.  If only I would have applied myself more I may have become somebody. Send This Person a Message       Cassie Radabaugh (Dommer ) 1993 Thursday, November 29, 2007 Matt, thanks for the memories!  I don't even remember that day at LMS but I certainly do remember YOU.   You were such a young gentleman and unbelievably, enormously talented.  (And I honestly must admit that I had your high school eyeglasses in mind when I read the Harry Potter series.)  I think it's interesting that you still consider S&D to be the most stressful activity in your life, and you're currently a PhD candidate.  I can really relate.  As magical as the program was, I think it surely took years off my life! (And actually, come to think of it, planning this reunion may just do the same.)  I hope to see you again next summer --  so I can form some new mental images of you beyond Harry Potter.  ;) Send This Person a Message       Mathias Fleck Wednesday, November 28, 2007 Wow, it would be so cool to see everyone again. I really hope I can make it. I don't recognize a single one of these dang young kids in the Facebook group "Bob Kelly is my hero". Thanks, Cassie, for putting this together! By the way, you probably didn't ever know me well, but I do recall now that it was when you came to Liberty Middle School to demo for us that got me into the S&D room my freshman year...  (for better or for worse-- i can't recall any other activity which stressed me out more than S&D) Send This Person a Message       Audra Keiser Brickner Monday, November 26, 2007 Wow-- those pictures are incredible...It is amazing to look at so many familiar faces and names and see where folks are now. I think about my speech and debate experiences often--so many good times and great memories. Hope to see you all next year! Send This Person a Message       Ingrid Carson Monday, November 19, 2007 Thanks, Cassie, for being the perennial organizer! It made my day to look at these old pictures. I didn't save enough of my own...A quick review of my high school fashion provides a potential clue as to why. Were all glasses really that big? Did I have no other options? Send This Person a Message       Cassie Radabaugh (Dommer) 1993 Monday, October 29, 2007 Jenny Bennett just e-mailed me and observed that it's amazing we ever had boyfriends with some of the dresses we used to wear. This is most certainly true. Send This Person a Message       Barbara Funke Monday, October 22, 2007 Coaching Speech created some of the best teaching and learning experiences of my life. It will be wonderful to get "the family" together again. Send This Person a Message       Gary Kowaluk Wednesday, October 17, 2007 Way back in 1972 Mr. Cavallo doubled as our bowling coach. It's almost forty years later and I'm still speaking and bowling. How about you Mr. Cavallo? Send This Person a Message       Heather Augustyn (Ransford) 1990 Tuesday, October 16, 2007 I'm so excited that a reunion is being organized. I look forward to seeing everyone and sharing some memories. Rude Dawg! Send This Person a Message       Catherine Shea (Keane) Tuesday, October 16, 2007 Hello all! As a former competitor and coach, it is certainly an honor to be part of an organization that spans 40 years and with great success. As a side note, what was up with my hair in 1991?! Send This Person a Message       Derek Mohar Wednesday, October 10, 2007 Mr C, I always assumed you DID start coaching when you were 12. Send This Person a Message       Jenny Bennett-Wallace Wednesday, October 10, 2007 I graduated in 1993? And it's 2007? I feel like I should STILL be 12! Alas I am not... ;) Send This Person a Message       Pauline Gotch (mom of Michael and Paul Gotch) Wednesday, October 10, 2007 I am sitting here with tears in my eyes from the pictures and the rush of wonderful, happy, sad, warm, beautiful memories of days that I LOVED as a parent and "cheerleader" for the team. I, as a parent, will be forever grateful for the program that Michael and Paul chose to participate in - the people who became part of their lives (and mine too) through it - and the wonderful, fond memories that are SO much a part of my life now. Send This Person a Message       James Cavallo Tuesday, October 9, 2007 How can it be 40 years? I must have started coaching when I was twelve. jc Send This Person a Message